Track Listing

1. Buffalo Stance
2. Manchild
3. Kisses On The Wind
4. Inna City Mamma
5. Next Generation
6. Love Ghetto
7. Heart
8. Phoney Ladies
9. Outre Risque Locomotive
10. So Here I Come
11. My Bitch
12. Heart (It's A Demo)
13. Buffalo Stance (1)
14. Manchild (1)

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #5551 in Music
• Released on: 1989-06-05
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: .23 pounds

Amazon.co.uk Review
Defiant, sexy, playful, nervy, womanly, and wise, 1988's Raw Like Sushi was the opening salvo in Neneh Cherry's brilliant, if woefully underappreciated, career. The hit "Buffalo Stance," with its reworking of Malcolm McLaren's Buffalo Gals vibe, found Cherry erroneously labeled as a rap artist. True enough, there are hip-hop elements on Raw Like Sushi, as well as pop, electronic, R&B, and dance, all gleefully mixed up in a progressive melange of beats, cultures, emotions, and grooves. Besides being fierce, funky, and one of the best debuts in memory, Raw Like Sushi helped redefine what women could do in the rigid realm of late-'80s African American music, and it sounds as good today as it did the day it was released. --Amy Linden

CD Description
Although the Swedish-born Nenah Cherry-daughter of jazz trumpeter Don, older sister of singer/songwriter Eagle Eye-had spent the early '80s as the singer in the UK avant-jazz-funkoutfit Rip Rig and Panic and its offshoot Float Up CP, almost nobody had heard of her in the US before this 1988 solo debut. This made the album's impact all the more impressive, as the powerful mix of hip-hop, jazz and pop seemed to come out of nowhere. The inescapable hit "Buffalo Stance", built on samples from Malcolm McLaren's "Buffalo Gals", a solid bass groove and Cherry's tough-girl vocals, is one of the finest pop singles of the late '80s. The rest of the album ranges from the dreamy "Kisses on the Wind" to hard-edged funk. RAW LIKE SUSHI foreshadows the polyglot influences of Soul IISoul and, later, Massive Attack.

Customer Reviews

One of those classics from back in the day
Surely everyone should have this in their collection and if you don't or gave it to the charity shop ages ago, then buy it now. This has album got to go along with the like of De La Souls and Soul to Soul, perhaps that was just down to a great era for music. Favourites on here have to be 'Buffalo Stance', 'Manchild' and 'Inna City Mama'. Neneh is a God!

REFRESHING WITTY RAPPING
Neneh Cherie's contribution in the early nineties infused hip hop with some fresh humor and intelligence, sometimes with a feminist slant. The track My Bitch is a sassy duet with a male vocal and has a lovely twist in the tale. Phoney Ladies is a bouncy pop number whilst the soulful Manchild consists of alternating singing and rapping parts. The real gem of the album is Buffalo Stance, the most original rap of the early nineties. Its infectious beat, streetwise lyrics and innovative instrumentation form an intoxicating brew for the ears and feet. Heart is likewise a bouncy and tuneful number with pop appeal whilst Kisses On The Wind has a Latin flavour and Spanish vocals in its appealing mix. With its jerky rhythm and party atmosphere, Outré Risqé Locomotive is the perfect club track. In her cheeky, compassionate and clever music, Neneh Cherry brought a new poetic lyricism to rap; this album remains a minor classic.

One of my favorite albums
RAW LIKE SUSHI is the early 1990's debut album of English singer/rapper Neneh Cherry (incidentally, Neneh is the step-daughter of Jazz artist Don Cherry, and the sister of Eagle-Eye Cherry who found success recently with the hit single "Save Tonight"). She was a mix between Queen Latifah and Madonna, and her hit single "Buffalo Stance" (a song about hussling) had become a major international radio hit. It was certainly ahead of its time because it incorporated what today is almost formula: a rap verse with a singing chorus. What is remarkable is that Neneh Cherry performed both functions. Most songs that follow this formula are collaborations, assigning one talent to each genre.

Buffalo Stance is without a doubt the best song on RAW LIKE SUSHI, but there are many other gems as well. Kisses on the Wind is a fun song about the girl in the neighborhood who matured faster than everyone else, "the first girl to turn the boys on." Inner City Momma, Love Ghetto, and Phoney Ladies, are also great songs.

This was an incredibly promising debut that seemed to hint at a future superstar. I'm not sure what went wrong. What has happened to Neneh Cherry? Why isn't she still on the radio? I don't know. But I *do* know that RAW LIKE SUSHI is a great CD that anyone who likes strong women will enjoy.

Andrew Parodi